President to address joint session of parliament today

President Syed Mamnoon Hussain will address the joint session of the parliament today (Monday) at 11 a.m.

President will focus on foreign policy, security and political situation in his address. President will also mention one year performance of PML-N government for addressing the problems of the country. President will also put light on the problems facing by the country.

Under the clause 56(1) of the Constitution, President addresses the parliament after completing every parliamentary year of the government and gives it directions on the policies.

The president’s address to the joint session of the parliament before the advent of new parliamentary year is mandatory under Article 6 of the constitution of Pakistan and, therefore, the president in discharge of his constitutional obligation will be addressing the parliament on June 2.

Sources said President Mamnoon Hussain’s maiden address to the parliament to be delivered in Urdu would discuss Pakistan Muslim League-N (PML-N) government’s performance during the last one-year and the challenges confronting the country besides providing the policy guidelines to the government for next year. The president through his balanced speech would also like to give an impression that he was not the representative of any political party, but the president of the entire country.

Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, ministers, members of the parliament, Chief Ministers, Governors and Prime Minister Azad Kashmir besides the Chiefs of the three armed forces including Chairman Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee will attend the joint session of the parliament.

Ambassadors, diplomats, members of civil society and important personalities from different segments of life would also be attending the session.

Sources further said that the opposition parties Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) and Pakistan Muslim League-Q (PML-Q) would stage protest during the president’s address, but it would be on limited scale.

It may be recalled that the former president Asif Ali Zardari had addressed the joint session of parliament for six times during his tenure, while his predecessor General (retired) Pervez Musharraf could address only once in his 8 years and 10 months tenure.